1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer programming, software development, deployment, control and management. More particularly, the present invention relates to the usage-based accounting, usage-based pricing, and licensing of any runtime engine that supports the design-time and/or runtime of any software solution such as, but not limited to, business application software, integration software, software modules and software services.
2. The Relevant Technology
Other than open-source licensing models, the most typical licensing model and pricing for software middleware platforms such as application server platforms, integration server platforms, enterprise service bus platforms and in general any “software platform” that supports the runtime and/or design-time of other application software, is the perpetual CPU-based model (including its core-based variation). In this typical CPU (or core) based model, a perpetual license for a software platform is acquired by a licensee from a vendor based on the number of CPU's (or cores) of the computer server that the software platform is installed and operating on. Another licensing and pricing model less often used by vendors, commonly known as the utility computing model, is based on the CPU time spent running an application as a measure of usage. One disadvantage of this model is that the processing speed and other characteristics of the underlying software and hardware may impact the CPU time spent running the application, and consequently, the price of the software. In either pricing model, the mere existence of a software platform on a device or the time spent running a particular software solution is not a direct or accurate measure of the amount of work supported by the software platform.
Other licensing and pricing models known in the art for pricing and licensing application software by software application vendors include user-based models which are based on the number of end-users using the applications, business transaction-based models which are based on specific business transactions supported by the software, and monthly subscription-based models. These methods are rarely used for pricing and licensing software platforms, such as middleware software.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced